THE GAZETTE.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1866.

The great ocean race of the five out of the nine sailing ships, from China to
England, ended in the closest run ever recorded, and is an event of
unprecedented occurrence. A sailing match over a distance exceeding 14,000
miles, or nearly twice the diameter of the globe, is a severe test to try the
qualities of a ship, and to bring out her perfection or faults in hull or rig.
The close arrival of the whole fleet that sailed first proves that all the
ships were well handled, and that the fullest advantage was taken of every
breeze, no tack being executed but either ship out of place. That they carried
on a full spread of canvas we may readily suppose, though it is not every
vessel that sails best when under a full press of sail. The ships were the Taeping, of Glasgow, 767 tons register,
Captain M'Kinnon, owned by Messers. Rogers and Co.; the Ariel, of
London, 852 tons register, Captain Keay, owned by Messrs. Phillips, Shaw, and
Lowther; the Serica, of Greenock, 702 tons register, Captain Innes; and
the Taitsing, 815 tons register, Captain Nutsford, Both owned by
Messrs. Findlay; and the Fiery Cross, of Liverpool, 689 tons register,
Captain Robinson, belonging to Messrs. Campbell. The first two to arrive were
the Taeping and the Ariel, which entered the Downs on the
morning of the 6th inst., followed by the Serica the same day, at 1 in
the afternoon. The Fiery Cross made her appearance the next morning;
and the Taitsing arrived off Portland at 8 a.m. on the 9th. There was
thus only three days' difference in the arrival of the first and last of the
five ships. The Taeping and Fiery Cross discharged in the London
Docks, the Ariel in the East India Docks, the Serica in the West
India Docks, and the Taitsing in the same dock as the Serica.

What it interests Navigators to know are the courses steered by the
respective Masters. These the reports furnished by the Captains do not supply.
All we learn from Captain Innes's report is, that he crossed the Line in the
Serica on the sixty-eighth days out, and that from thence to the Cape
de Verds he had westerly winds. From those islands he fell in with a strong
N.E. trade to 27 N., on the 18th of August. Captain Robinson, of the Fiery
Cross, passed Mauritius in lat. 22 41 S., long. 58 W. This is on the outer
circle of the Roderiquez hurricane track, but in outside the Roderiquez track,
bearing away to the southward from the Straits of Sunda till about 80 lat.,
and then they haul round to the westward, and pass the Cape in about 38 S.
lat. The Fiery Cross fell in with the Taeping on the 7th of
Aug., three days after crossing the Line, and parted company with her again on
the 29th, in lat. 41 5 N., long. 35 51 W. The Taeping and Fiery
Cross therefore separated on the north-west of the Azores. Some
Shipmasters shape their course from Cape Verds to Madeira, but others make to
the westward. When the Taeping bore away she was hull down in four
hours. This was where the Fiery Cross was evidently beaten. Captain
M'Kinnon altered his course before the other ship, or he was fortunate in
catching a slant of wind. The Taitsing crossed the Equator on the 12th
of August, having sailed from Foochoofoo on the 1st of June. The Ariel
crossed the Line on the 5th. The Serica, Ariel, and
Taeping left together on the 30th of May, and the Fiery Cross on
the previous day, the 29th. The Fiery Cross gained on the first 3,000
miles of the voyage very considerably on her competitors, for she got through
the Straits of Sunda on the 19th of June, the next batch being the
Ariel, Taitsing, and Serica. Looking, therefore, at the
difference in tonnage of the vessels, it may be said that they are of nearly
equal sailing qualities, if they are all navigated with the same ability. We
see in a yacht race in the Channel that one vessel will head the squadron when
beating against the wind, but when running free falls back and loses ground.
This must be the case with sea-going ships. Some sail faster and beat to
windward better than other vessels. Again, a vessel that can crack on when
closehauled, from being stiff, in a strong breeze, is weathered in light winds
and smooth sea by a more tender ship. A run, however, of fourteen thousand
miles must give opportunities for forming average results, and for making
calculations as to lines, trim, position of masts, and exact canvas for
propulsion under varying conditions of wind. There is one other point
necessary to be observed, and that is - the quantity of cargo to register
tonnage of each vessel. This may be understood by the following. The
Taeping took in 1,108,700 lbs. of tea, the Ariel 1,230,900 lbs.,
the Serica 954,236 lbs., the Fiery Cross 854,236 lbs., and the
Taitsing 1,093,130 lbs. Messrs. Steele, of Greenock, built the
Taeping (composite), Ariel (composite), and Serica
(iron), and the last held her way well with the wooden hull ships. If the
Masters would give the actual distance run by log we could form an idea of the
average speed each day and hour for the whole voyage. The Taeping was
first in dock, and gained the purse. The other four ships - the Ada,
Black Prince, Chinaman, and Flying Spur, - sailed on the
3d, 5th, and 6th of June, and their passage will show whether they have fallen
in with the same fortunate winds.